The Sunflower Keeper

Day 1: How long?!

“Just rip it off. Tell it to me straight, no anesthesia.” I ask half annoyed, half afraid. “How long have we been missing? How long did those freaks have us locked away?” my voice sounds relatively calm.

          “Are you sure you want to know?” Damian hesitates.

          “Just tell me!” I snap.

          “Two weeks.” Damian says flatly.

          “What?! How could it have been that long?!” the level of my voice rises.

          “It makes sense.” Elijah speaks from my right. His voice is drenched with exhaustion. His eyes flutter shut and linger there.

          Tears fill my eyes as I mumble, “Is my mom still alive?”

          Damian’s eyes soften, “She isn’t doing well… Every past Sunflower hasn’t lived more than six weeks after the new one is discovered.”

          “And I’ve been here for about five weeks… I only have a week left with my mom?!” I can no longer hold back my tears. They overflow onto my bright, puffy cheeks.

          “Faith, you need to calm down.” Damian reaches out for my bruised hand, but I jerk them away to the point that I almost fall out of my seat. Elijah's eyes open, and he steadies me. He saves me the embarrassment of falling on my butt and being labeled as clumsy.

          “How can I calm down?!” I’m almost yelling now. “My mom is going to turn to stone any day now?! And you want me to calm down?!” Panic arises inside of me. I straighten myself and add, “You’re unbelievable.”

          “I’m just trying to help…” Damian says softly. Concern flickers in his once again purple eyes. They must have changed back to their natural color when I as being tortured by Demetri.

          “Then stop. I don’t want nor need your help!”

          “You don’t mean that…” he mutters as his eyes turn sad.

          “Actually I do.” I stand on my two feet. They wobble beneath me. Damian goes to grab my arm but I stop him, “No. Don’t pretend you care.” I storm off towards my dying mother’s room.

          How will you survive? Can you forgive her? She is going to die in seven days... Give or take... It’s time to start the countdown. Today is day one.

***

          My hand pauses against the frigid door. The metal door contains extravagant sunflowers in its silver surface.

          Should I knock? Should I just call out her name? The questions swarm around inside my already confused mind.

          I clench my eyes shut and grit my teeth. I knock slightly. Nobody answers. Temptation tempts me. I want to turn. I want to hide.

How can I face my dying mother? The question will never have an answer. It will remain answerless.

I knock a little louder. I hear the knock echo through the almost bare room.

“Come in.” I soft faint voice wiggles its way through the door into my ear drums. I turn the crisp to the touch door knob. Shivers slowly inch over my skin. Tiny hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

“Mom?” my voice sounds scratchy.

“Faith!” she excitedly says. Her body is stretched out of the lumpy bed. Long sheets cover almost every inch of her body.

“I’m alright. See. I have two eyes, two feet, and one nose.” I tap the end of my nose. I attempt to wiggle it. No luck.

“Still trying to…” *Cough* Cough* I rush to her side and slide my hand in hers. Our fingers latch together. I smile. She smiles. “… Trying to wiggle your nose like your dear old mom?”

“Like always.” I squeeze her fragile hand tighter.

          I look my once beautiful mother over. Her thin face is pale and lifeless. Her once luscious hair has grown wild and untamed.

          “Why have you gotten sick?” worry wraps around the sound waves of my voice.

          “You discovered another one of you powers.” She coughs again. This one sounding more brutal than the last.

          “Last time you didn’t get sick.” My voice becomes scratchy as tears form in my eyes.

          “You discovered one of your more powerful gifts.” *Cough*Cough*

          “I’m sorry…” I drop my head onto her shoulder and weep.

          “Don’t cry my little snoogle. This sickness won’t last forever.” She lifts my head from her shoulder. “Trust me.”

          “I do.” I mumble. She smiles gently.

          “Now go and deal with the problems that you have clouding your life. I’ll come find you when I’m sure I won’t cough up a lung.” I giggle and so does she.

          “I love you.” I kiss her on her forehead.

          “I love you more.”

          I step to the door and wrap my fingers around the knob. I glance back at my sickly mother. Tears trickle down my face onto my neck. I wipe them away and step out of the door.

***

          Hours pass me by as I rest back in my room. The space is like a stranger to me. I don’t feel a belonging. I’m like a needle in a haystack… I don’t fit in, or at least I think that’s how the saying goes.

          “Hey snoogle pal!” Nevaeh pops her head into my room. Her hair isn’t crusty with dried blood. Her face doesn’t have dirt forming mountains around the edges. She obviously enjoyed a long hot shower. I took mine after I visited my mom. I thought I might be able to wash the worry away. Apparently that was not the case. “How it going?” She gins and skips to sit beside me on my comfortable bad. Her butt forces the mattress down. Two trenches receding deep into the mattress lie next to each other.  

          “Better, not good, but better.” I answer and return my friend’s cheerful smile.

          “Well that’s improvement!” she nudges me with her shoulder.

          “Definitely.” I chuckle. I lie back onto my foam mattress. One of the trench’s size increases followed by the other. Her body is next to mine. I stare at the blank ceiling. I imagine stars and constellations appearing above me.

          “So I came here because there was something I wanted to tell you.” I turn my head and look her. Her mouth remains shut.

          “Well? Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to guess?” I say sarcastically.

          “Right!” her voice’s pitch spikes for a second then returns to normal. “I can’t remember. Don’t worry. I’ll remember… It might not be this weeks though.” She grins and puffs her hair out of her face.

          “I think I know who I’m going to choose. I followed my gut and Julian’s advice. I think I know.”

          Her expression becomes serious as she waits for my answer, “Well! Tell me! I am not going to play the guessing game. Since there are only two guys, you would probably say no to both of their names and say that you’re in love with your imaginary friend named Billy Bob Joe.” I punch her in the side.

          “I choose….” I begin to say.